One couple’s California wildfire wedding photo has taken the internet by storm, as it’s the perfect example of the “new normal” of many Californians.
California is once again being ravaged by multiple fires across the state, including the Getty fire, the Hill fire, the Maria fire, and the Easy fire.
One of the largest fires is the Kincade fire in Sonoma Country. It has blazed over 77,000 acres worth of land and destroyed at least 352 structures so far.
On Saturday, a couple from Chicago got married at the Chateau St. Jean vineyard in Sonoma County, just miles away from the Kincade Fire. Photographer Karna Roa took this photo at their wedding.
In the photo, Katie and Curtis Ferland wear masks to protect their lungs from the smoke. The wildfire is seen blazing in the background in hues that resemble a dystopian sunset.
“I immediately thought of the American Gothic painting from the 1930s and how that couple at that time represented the normal America,” Karna told ABC 7. “And all of a sudden, in a very strange way, this has become our new normal of the wine country.”
Karna says this is the fourth wedding in three years that she’s photographed that was threatened by wildfires.
The wedding vendors had to evacuate hours before Katie and Curtis’ wedding, forcing their wedding planner to re-do the entire event on the fly. Somehow, they pulled the wedding off.
The next morning, the newlyweds evacuated too, along with all of their guests.
They say the now-viral wedding photo is a reminder of all the people who came together to make this wedding happen. For Karna, it’s a possible way to draw attention to the wildfires in Northern California.
“As long as it can bring more attention to the wildfires and the problems that Sonoma and Napa County and Northern California are facing, then I would love more people to see it,” Karna said.
